Cautious optimism for Gaza ceasefire breakthrough as Netanyahu visits US

After 21 months of war, determination are increasing hopes of a caller Gaza ceasefire announcement arsenic Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets US President Donald Trump successful Washington.

Trump antecedently told reporters helium had been "very firm" with Netanyahu astir ending the struggle and that helium thought "we'll person a deal" this week.

"We are moving to execute the woody that has been discussed, nether the conditions we person agreed," the seasoned Israeli PM said earlier boarding his plane. "I judge that the speech with President Trump tin decidedly assistance beforehand this outcome, which we each anticipation for."

Indirect talks betwixt Israel and Hamas connected a US-sponsored connection for a 60-day ceasefire and hostage merchandise woody resumed successful Qatar connected Sunday evening.

However, it is unclear whether cardinal differences that person consistently held up an statement tin beryllium overcome.

Only cautious optimism is being expressed by weary Palestinians surviving successful dire conditions amid continuing regular Israeli bombardment, and the distressed families of Israeli hostages inactive held by Hamas.

"I don't privation for a truce but a implicit halt to each war. Frankly, I'm acrophobic that aft 60 days the warfare would restart again," says Nabil Abu Dayah, who fled from Beit Lahia successful bluish Gaza to Gaza City with his children and grandchildren.

"We got truthful bushed of displacement, we got bushed of thirst and hunger, from surviving successful tents. When it comes to life's necessities, we person zero."

On Saturday evening, ample rallies took spot urging Israel's authorities to seal a woody to instrumentality immoderate 50 hostages from Gaza, up to 20 of whom are believed to beryllium alive.

Some relatives questioned wherefore the model woody would not escaped each captives immediately.

"How does 1 past nether specified conditions? I'm waiting for Evyatar to instrumentality and archer maine himself," said Ilay David, whose younger brother, a musician, was filmed by Hamas successful torment arsenic helium watched chap hostages being released earlier this twelvemonth during the last, two-month-long ceasefire.

"This is the clip to prevention lives. This is the clip to rescue the bodies from the menace of disappearance," Ilay told a assemblage successful Jerusalem.

"In the rapidly changing world of the Middle East, this is the infinitesimal to motion a broad statement that volition pb to the merchandise of each the hostages, each azygous one, without exception."

Netanyahu is visiting the White House for the 3rd clip since Trump returned to powerfulness astir six months ago.

But the leaders volition beryllium gathering for the archetypal clip since the US joined Israeli attacks connected Iranian atomic sites and past brokered a ceasefire betwixt Israel and Iran.

There is simply a beardown consciousness that the caller 12-day warfare has created much favourable circumstances to extremity the Gaza war.

After months of debased popularity ratings, the Israeli PM has been bolstered by wide nationalist enactment for the Iran violative and analysts suggest helium present has much leverage to hold to a bid woody implicit the beardown objections of his far-right conjugation partners, who privation Israel to stay successful power of Gaza.

Hamas is seen to person been further weakened by the strikes connected Iran - a cardinal determination patron - meaning it could besides beryllium much amenable to making concessions needed to scope an agreement.

Meanwhile, Trump is keen to determination connected to different priorities successful the Middle East.

These see brokering borderline talks betwixt Israel and Syria, returning to efforts to normalise relations betwixt Israel and Saudi Arabia, and completing unfinished concern with Iran, involving imaginable negotiations connected a caller atomic deal.

For months, ceasefire talks betwixt Israel and Hamas person been deadlocked implicit 1 cardinal difference.

Israel has been acceptable to perpetrate to a impermanent truce to instrumentality hostages but not an extremity to the war. Hamas has demanded a imperishable cessation of hostilities successful Gaza and a afloat pullout of Israeli troops.

The latest connection enactment to Hamas is said to see guarantees of Washington's committedness to the woody and to continued talks to scope a lasting ceasefire and the merchandise of each the hostages.

Nothing has been officially announced, but according to media reports the model would spot Hamas manus implicit 28 hostages - 10 live and 18 dormant - successful 5 stages implicit 60 days without the troubling handover ceremonies it staged successful the past ceasefire.

There would beryllium a ample surge successful humanitarian assistance entering Gaza.

After the instrumentality of the archetypal 8 surviving hostages connected the archetypal time of the agreement, Israeli forces would retreat from parts of the north. After 1 week, the service would permission parts of the south.

On Day 10, Hamas would outline which hostages stay live and their condition, portion Israel would springiness details astir much than 2,000 Gazans arrested during the warfare who stay successful "administrative detention" - a signifier which allows the Israeli authorities to clasp them without complaint oregon trial.

As seen before, ample numbers of Palestinians would beryllium released from Israeli jails successful speech for hostages.

President Trump has described this arsenic the "final" truce connection and said past week that Israel had accepted "the indispensable conditions" to finalise it.

On Friday, Hamas said it had responded successful a "positive spirit" but expressed immoderate reservations.

A Palestinian authoritative said sticking points remained implicit humanitarian assistance - with Hamas demanding an contiguous extremity to operations by the arguable Israeli and American-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and a instrumentality to the UN and its partners overseeing each alleviation efforts.

Hamas is besides said to beryllium questioning the timetable for Israeli unit withdrawals and operations of the Rafah crossing betwixt confederate Gaza and Egypt.

Netanyahu's bureau stated connected Saturday that the changes wanted by Hamas were "not acceptable" to Israel.

The premier curate has repeatedly said that Hamas indispensable beryllium disarmed, a request the Islamist radical has truthful acold refused to discuss.

In Israel, determination is increasing absorption to the warfare successful Gaza, with much than 20 soldiers killed successful the past month, according to the military.

The Israeli military's main of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, said past week that it was nearing the completion of its warfare goals and signalled that the authorities indispensable determine whether to determination up with a woody to bring location hostages oregon hole for Israeli forces to re-establish subject regularisation successful Gaza.

Polls bespeak that two-thirds of Israelis enactment a ceasefire woody to bring location the hostages.

In Gaza, immoderate residents explicit fears that the existent question of positivity is being manufactured to easiness tensions during Netanyahu's US travel - rationalising that this happened successful May arsenic Trump prepared to sojourn Arab Gulf states.

The coming days volition beryllium captious politically and successful humanitarian terms.

The concern successful Gaza has continued to deteriorate, with aesculapian unit reporting acute malnutrition among children.

The UN says that with nary substance having entered successful implicit 4 months, stockpiles are present virtually gone, threatening captious aesculapian care, h2o supplies and telecommunications.

Israel launched its warfare successful Gaza successful retaliation for the Hamas-led attacks connected 7 October 2023, which killed astir 1,200 radical and led to 251 others being taken hostage.

Israeli attacks person since killed much than 57,000 radical successful Gaza, according to the Hamas-run wellness ministry. The ministry's figures are quoted by the UN and others arsenic the astir reliable root of statistic disposable connected casualties.